JUAN MATA admits he is honoured to be compared to Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola by the club’s fans.

The Spaniard’s instinctive passing game after being moved into a central role by Roberto Di Matteo has raised increasing parallels with the man voted Chelsea’s best all-time player.

And the former Valencia playmaker hopes to live up to his new-found cult status amongst the Chelsea fans by orchestrating a surpirse Champions League win over Barcelona tonight.

Mata, who signed last summer for £23.5million, said: “I know Zola is a legend here. He won big games and titles for the club and was a fantastic player who played with fun and entertained the fans.

“To even be compared slightly with him is a real compliment.

“As far as I’m concerned though, he did everything with Chelsea while I only just got here.” Mata, though, believes he has now been liberated by Di Matteo after spending most of the season in a starting role on the left under Andre Villas-Boas.

The 23-year-old said: “I feel comfortable on the pitch now because I can move freely.

“I wanted to be able to find spaces between lines, turn around with the ball and have time to think about what will hurt the opposition. I am not a winger so when I am able to come inside I feel I have a better view of the pitch and what I want to do.

“Over the last few games I have given quite a few final passes which have led to goals.

“It is not easy to time them, especially when the defence is trying to come out to play offside or cut down the angle.

“You have to take risks. That’s one of the jobs of the playmaker. It’s hard but you have to try it, to discover if you can pull it off.”

And Mata is convinced his side have the quality to see off Barca.

He said: “I’m sure we can do well at Stamford Bridge. Barcelona will not be comfortable at all.

“But even if we draw, we will be confident. We scored at Napoli and Benfica, so we know we will score at the Nou Camp as well.”